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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25428301">Widow Maura</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ModernAgeSomniari/pseuds/ModernAgeSomniari'>ModernAgeSomniari</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mala Suledin Nadas [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Gen, POV Solas (Dragon Age), Slow Burn, Very early days - Freeform, approval</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:02:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25428301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ModernAgeSomniari/pseuds/ModernAgeSomniari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An small, early moment in Eli and Solas' relationship where our resident 'expert' begins to suspect he's underestimated this Herald of Andraste</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Lavellan/Solas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mala Suledin Nadas [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Widow Maura</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">He wasn’t entirely sure why they were going back to Maura’s hut.They’d closed the rift there and made sure that she was safe - Solas had healed a minor ulcer in her gut from stress whilst Ellana had spoken with her.He didn’t really want to come back, it made him too angry.Her story of such pointless, careless death.Even if they managed to kill the templars who had mistaken her husband’s pitchfork for a staff (and if they had even done that or just gone too long without killing something), those men and women would not understand this woman’s loss.The pain of having someone you loved ripped from you by something so callously senseless.</p>
<p class="p1">He kept quiet as they returned, mourned the wary look in Maura’s eye as Varric charmed his way into buying more of her sparse produce.She knew she was being pitied and, whilst she may appreciate the coin, the sting to her pride would remain with her far longer than her hunger.He watched Ellana come to her again, take her elbow gently and lean their heads together, like they were sharing a secret.He spotted her hand reaching subtly behind her to the pouch at her belt and anger flared in his gut.He had watched her pick over the bodies of every templar they had killed and, whilst he had no problem with relieving said corpses of everything they had, he sympathised with the embarrassment giving that reclaimed coin to this woman, who had not asked for any charity, would cause her.Such a simple, brutish response to a far more nuanced problem.</p>
<p class="p1">Only then he saw the woman’s eyes widen, her face open in surprise and a shadow of delight before she reached out towards whatever Ellana had given her, her face crumpling into tears.Ellana’s strong arm reached around her back, holding her solid and close, kissing the lank hair at her temple.This was not the reaction of a woman receiving money.He noticed Cassandra peering curiously at the pair beside him and they shared a small look of confusion before hearing a deep chuckle from behind them.</p>
<p class="p1">“The ring.”</p>
<p class="p1">“The what?” Cassandra asked, somewhat impatiently.</p>
<p class="p1">“The ring, Seeker.Did you not hear the woman’s story?The Dalish bonding ring those bastards took from her husband?It’s what Eli’s been looking for since we left this damn place.”</p>
<p class="p1">The anger dissipated like ink into a flowing stream of clear water and he was left momentarily speechless.The Stonechild didn’t lie, here was Ellana now, smiling as she turned and held out a rough leather thong, the wooden ring hanging delicately on the edge.She was laughing, somewhat sheepishly, about how she hadn’t had the time to set it on the leather properly, but she wanted to get it back to Maura as quickly as she could.Maura didn’t mind, of course she didn’t mind, her thin fingers delicately brushing the engraved wood as Ellana, gently but firmly, raised the thong over the woman’s head and let the ring settle on Maura’s breastbone.She rested her palm over it and Solas could almost feel the cool solidity of it on his own heart, how comforting it must be after so long being suddenly bereft of all physical comfort.Maura certainly thought so, by how her own fingers clasped Ellana’s, wordless gratitude in her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">Ellana accepted no payment and he was no longer surprised.She looked at him as they left and he let her pass, his bemusement clearly still on his face because she cocked her head at him in question.He felt his head shake and her attention passed him with just a small, tired smile to show she’d felt anything of the exchange at all.The sunlight glinted on her hair as she stepped into the sunshine outside the hut door and she turned her face up towards it for a quiet breath before moving further out, away from him.</p>
<p class="p1">He had not anticipated this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is based off probably one of the first full 'Solas Approves' players will get in the game.  I really wanted to explore a little of why that might be.  It's based of the quest Agrarian Apostate in the Hinterlands which you can read about here: https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Agrarian_Apostate</p></blockquote></div></div>
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